Sailor's Creek Battlefield State Park Farmville Reviews

The last gasp of the Confederacy happened on the rolling hills near Sayler's Creek where the fleeing Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee was devastated by Union forces, leading to Lee's surrender at nearby Appomattox Court House (see Andy99's review for the historical significance of the battle). A new visitor center contains a small but thorough museum that covers Lee's retreat from Petersburg to Appomattox with a special focus on Sayler's Creek.

You can pick up a map at the visitor center for a short driving tour that lasts about an hour to various crucial sites of the battle, forming a loop that returns to the starting point. At each site there is a short audio guide you can listen to on an AM radio station, but the reception is hit or miss.

The Hillsman House that served as a field hospital is open for tours on weekends, but I visited on a Monday so could only peek through the windows. There are occassional reenactments and guest lectures at the visitor center, so check out the website for any extras. A recommended stop for anyone heading out to Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

A bit of trivia: In 19th-century Virginia, "Court House" referred to the town that contained the county court, while "Courthouse" (one word) referred to the actual court building.

Sailor's Creek (or Sayler's Creek) Battlefield is not one of the well-known Civil War sites. But, it is the site of the last major battle of the Civil War.

After the Union capture of Petersburg and Richmond on April 3, 1865, Robert E. Lee evacuated his Confederate forces south towards North Carolina. When Union forces blocked his way down what is now US Highway 360, the Confederates sought to cut across to Farmville to seek supplies. On April 6, 1865, the Union Army caught up with the Confederate columns at the Hillsman Farm near Sailor's/Sayler's Creek. At the end of the battle, more than 7,700 Confederates had been killed or captured. The battle and dramatic reduction in forces and supplies available to him led directly to Lee's decision to surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9.

There has been little development here and the topography of the battlefield probably looks today much as it did in 1865. The battlefield park is well marked with signs and historical markers. But, there is no museum or interpretive displays. (There are occasional interpretive tours of the battlefield. Check the web site.) The Hillsman House, used as a Union field hospital and headquarters, is undergoing restoration at this writing and is scheduled to reopen to visitors in 2009.